Best Thing
by Eveilae
Summary: [implied InoShikaCho] The children ask Ino to tell them a story, and she complies.


_I do not own Naruto or fanverse._

This may have been for Kitty's (Imbrium Iridum) birthday. In any case, she asked for Ino-stuffs. Or she didn't...what the fuck ever. Anyway, this is based on her fanverse from Self-Reliance & InoShikaCho fics. It's one of the rare pure fluff fics I've done, and I'm kind of proud of it. Ino-mommy-centric.

* * *

**Best Thing  
**

"Tell us a story."

Ino rolled her eyes at the words, but the wry expression was gone once she'd turned to face the little girl, who was cradling a brother's hand in each of her own. Neither boys looked very interested at the promise of a story, and were both making odd noises that sounded like the mating call of a drowning ostrich. Leaning over, she picked up one of the boys (he was a stick; it was Shikato) and turned the stove off. Dinner could wait (for Choji), but it as important to keep the children amused.

She turned towards the couch, and the children still on the ground scrambled past her to get the best seats. Ino shimmied in between Chouko and Inokku, and let Shikato settle himself on her lap. Inokku gave Shikato a scathing look, but once he'd pressed his head against his mother's thigh, he was sedated. One of her hands fell onto Chouko's head, and her fingers played gently with her thick strands, careful to avoid to the top of her head directly. Three pairs of eyes fixed themselves on their Madonna, and she tried to quickly come up with a good, solid tale. Preferably one that warned them against the dangers of talking to strange nin and running with kunai.

"Hm. Have I told you guys the one about the three bulls?"

"No." Two subsequent grunts from the boys.

"Alright. It goes something like this. My own daddy told me this back when I was your age. It's kind of an inter-family thing that just keep getting more and more appropriate . . ."

_three bulls_

_there they are munching on grass, or whatever bulls do. one of them is sort of . . .big, but there's nothing wrong with that, darlings, and whenever the other two went a little further when the grass got too dry_

_he tagged along. the other two didn't glance up to see if he was following; they knew. the second one wasn't eating much, just enough, nothing compared to the first one, but he was the one that found the best spots_

_where the grass was greenest. they never had to go to the other side; the grass was just as green on this side, if you knew where to look. the last one . . . let's just say that if the three of them ever fought, this particular bull won_

_hands down._

"Mommy, are you the first bull?"

"**No**!"

_wolf_

_he stood on the outskirts, hidden behind the trees struggling on the edge of the forest. his gaze fell hungrily on the clearing, and he wanted those bulls like he'd wanted nothing ever before. he hadn't eaten in days. he'd tried with this little girl_

_in a red cape, but that was a complete dud. but while these three bulls were together, no wolf could touch them. there was no hunter in the entire world that could catch one of them _

_while he had the other two at his side. but do you know what happened when . . . when one of them separated himself from the other two?_

"What, mommy?"

"The wolf ate him."

Each of her children was gazing up at her with his or her eyes glazed with confusion. Ino wondered briefly if this was the right way to approach this; then again, her father had expressed himself in a worse manner. She could be forgiven if _he_ could.

"Just remember this: no matter what choices any of you make, even if me or your daddies aren't around . . . you guys have to stay together. Like the bulls, only with each other can you guys stay whole. You . . . don't forget it, loves. Don't. The best thing I ever gave you guys were each other."

Inokku had fallen asleep on her lap, and she ran her fingertips over the soft pulsing skin of his neck. Carefully, she took him in her arms, and carted him off to the bedroom. Chouko followed with a drowsy Shikato being led by the hand in the same direction. The two females tucked the sleepy boys in bed and went back to the kitchen wait for Choji and Shikamaru to get home, stalling for time with ice cream right out of the carton.


End file.
